Barbara Visser
06 Sep - 25 Oct 2008
© Former Futures 2 | 2008 | Multi-media installation 1 projection with sound, duration: 23'14'' 3 poster collages 1 maquette 1 wall drawing 2 panel drawings 1 mounted sloth | Variable dimensions
BARBARA VISSER
"Former Futures 2"
Annet Gelink Gallery proudly presents the solo exhibition Former Futures 2 of Barbara Visser (Haarlem, 1966).Over the years Visser has conquered a firm place in the world of art, which was recently again confirmed by herbeing awarded the prestigious oeuvre price, the Dr. A.H. Heineken Prize for Art 2008. Her work is currently ondisplay in the Centre d’Art Contemporain in Meymac (France) and in Gaasbeek Castle in Brussels (Belgium).Furthermore, Visser is participating in Manifesta 7 with the installation Former Futures. This year Manifestatakes place in the Trentino region in Italy.For Manifesta Visser has made a staged installation based on facts about the power struggle concerning acommission for thePalazzo delle Poste in Trento. In Former Futures Visser throws light on the correspondence between AngioloMazzoni, the Palazzo’s architect – at the same time Mussolini’s head architect – and Fortunato Depero, afuturistic artist dying to fetch in the assignment to design three enormous stained glass windows for the futurebuilding.For Former Futures 2 Visser continues with this installation by adding a second layer. Former Futures 2 takesthe installation from a concrete, physical place to a virtual, fictive place. Elements of the room in the Palazzo dellePoste return to gallery as two- or three-dimensional images in the form of photographs, slides and scale-models.The vividly coloured foils on the windows refer to the stained glass windows of Depero.With Former Futures 2 Visser brings up for discussion the fragile relation between artist and principal –between ambition and money – eventually revolving around power. She draws therewith a parallel with our age,in which the artist still seems to be subjected to external powers. Also the tragedy of the visionary artist comesto the fore since according to Visser futurism is of all times. With Former Futures 2 Visser renders a privateperspective of the phenomenon historiography. Which historic facts are considered important and passed on,and which facts stay underexposed? The human perception plays a key role in Visser’s oeuvre. For example inthe series of photographs A Day in Holland/Holland in a Day (2001) and Le monde appartient à ceux qui selèvent tôt (2002) Visser is also playing with our perception and how that is being influenced by journalistic,historical and cultural influences.
"Former Futures 2"
Annet Gelink Gallery proudly presents the solo exhibition Former Futures 2 of Barbara Visser (Haarlem, 1966).Over the years Visser has conquered a firm place in the world of art, which was recently again confirmed by herbeing awarded the prestigious oeuvre price, the Dr. A.H. Heineken Prize for Art 2008. Her work is currently ondisplay in the Centre d’Art Contemporain in Meymac (France) and in Gaasbeek Castle in Brussels (Belgium).Furthermore, Visser is participating in Manifesta 7 with the installation Former Futures. This year Manifestatakes place in the Trentino region in Italy.For Manifesta Visser has made a staged installation based on facts about the power struggle concerning acommission for thePalazzo delle Poste in Trento. In Former Futures Visser throws light on the correspondence between AngioloMazzoni, the Palazzo’s architect – at the same time Mussolini’s head architect – and Fortunato Depero, afuturistic artist dying to fetch in the assignment to design three enormous stained glass windows for the futurebuilding.For Former Futures 2 Visser continues with this installation by adding a second layer. Former Futures 2 takesthe installation from a concrete, physical place to a virtual, fictive place. Elements of the room in the Palazzo dellePoste return to gallery as two- or three-dimensional images in the form of photographs, slides and scale-models.The vividly coloured foils on the windows refer to the stained glass windows of Depero.With Former Futures 2 Visser brings up for discussion the fragile relation between artist and principal –between ambition and money – eventually revolving around power. She draws therewith a parallel with our age,in which the artist still seems to be subjected to external powers. Also the tragedy of the visionary artist comesto the fore since according to Visser futurism is of all times. With Former Futures 2 Visser renders a privateperspective of the phenomenon historiography. Which historic facts are considered important and passed on,and which facts stay underexposed? The human perception plays a key role in Visser’s oeuvre. For example inthe series of photographs A Day in Holland/Holland in a Day (2001) and Le monde appartient à ceux qui selèvent tôt (2002) Visser is also playing with our perception and how that is being influenced by journalistic,historical and cultural influences.